Source: Science Daily
The less people know about important complex issues such as the economy,
energy consumption and the environment, the more they want to avoid
becoming well-informed, according to new research published by the
American Psychological Association.
And the more urgent the issue, the more people want to remain unaware, according to a paper published online in APA's Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
"These studies were designed to help understand the so-called
'ignorance is bliss' approach to social issues," said author Steven
Shepherd, a graduate student with the University of Waterloo in Ontario.
"The findings can assist educators in addressing significant barriers
to getting people involved and engaged in social issues."
Through a series of five studies conducted in 2010 and 2011 with 511
adults in the United States and Canada, the researchers described "a
chain reaction from ignorance about a subject to dependence on and trust
in the government to deal with the issue."
In one study, participants who felt most affected by the economic
recession avoided information challenging the government's ability to
manage the economy. However, they did not avoid positive information,
the study said. This study comprised 197 Americans with a mean age of 35
(111 women and 89 men), who had received complex information about the
economy and had answered a question about how the economy is affecting
them directly.
